By C1 Staff
LANCASTER COUNTY, Neb. — A federal lawsuit claims that the smell of methane gas in the new Lancaster County Jail has made at least one inmate sick.
The Journal Star reports that Sergio Butler claims the smell comes at night and when it rains; he and five other inmates allege in a civil complaint there’s been a lack of response by the state and county.
Jail Administrator Mike Thurber said Friday he didn’t know about the lawsuit and is not aware of any methane gas problems at the jail.
Inmates also allege in the suit that the county has endangered them by placing people accused of violent offenses with those accused of nonviolent offenses.
Thurber said the jail has a classification procedure for housing its inmates.
The inmates claim the county has placed inmates accused of murder in the same cell as those “with only traffic fines;” however, the inmates provide few specifics in the lawsuit.
They also claim the jail staff has refused to give them medicine and that inmates have poor access to the jail’s law library.
They claim to have sought relief through the jail’s grievance process and through an ombudsman.